Fluffy Nonsense
by nyxnotnicks
Summary: These are one shots and drabbles that are all fluffy in nature.
1. A More Interesting Passtime

The paperwork completed, Rosalind found herself without a task to occupy herself while Robert was away. She glanced up at the door, then down at her watch. It was only a few minutes before their posted lunch hour. She could put the closed sign up early and attend to some personal matters. There was a rather tattered and (embarrassingly) well read paperback waiting for her under the false drawer bottom in her work desk. She strode over to their open/closed sign, turning it over to inform the populace that they would be taking no business for a little while. She locked the outer door and drew the curtains, then made her way back to their private workspace.

With little ado she pulled out the book in question and turned it to one of the three dog earred sections. This one showed visible wear. The spine opened nearly flat on these few pages. It was awkward to sit in a chair when she read this particular book. She often found she needed more surface area to maintain stability. She hopped up onto her desk, gathering her skirt around her hips. The cooler air of the laboratory felt refreshing on her thighs, even through the fabric of her underwear. It was a rather hot day outside and the Lutece Device put off quite a bit of heat, even with the cooling unit working as hard as it could.

By now she had these passages memorized, but she still liked to read them. Recalling from memory was a less visceral experience, for some reason. She delicately unbuttoned the join of her unionsuit while she began to read the passages. The style was somewhat immature, but between the words on the page and the sensation of her undergarments being removed she could get enough amusement for her needs from it. She slid her fingers through her pubic hair, shivering slightly at the sensation of it. By keeping her mind distracted with the tawdry sex scene she could pretend that hands other than her own were stroking her body.

She slipped her fingers between those lower lips. She wasn't quite prepared for this activity yet. That was no problem for her, though. She had years of experience dealing with this problem. She continued to read, rubbing her fingertips gently over the entrance to her vagina. There were a few fragments of sentences that seemed to be most effective. She didn't know why those particular words in that particular order were so resonate with her but she didn't waste time analyzing. She felt her body slowly relaxing and her fingertips became coated with a thin, slick moisture. She slid them up to their typical position, gently working them over the soft, sensitive nub that she knew would soon be her undoing.

Of course that was the moment when Robert returned from his errand. The door opened and Rosalind felt as though she had been immersed in cold water. She jumped to her feet and shook her skirts out, dropping the book and pulling a few papers off her desk in the process. Robert rounded the corner before she had her skirts entirely settled. Rosalind knew without question that he understood what he'd interrupted. The irritating smug look on his face told her enough about his opinion of the thing. She huffed and bent to retrieve her book. She snatched it up hastily before Robert could even begin to help her retrieve the fallen documents.

Robert eyed the book and Rosalind did her best to hide the cover and spine from him. "Not one word." Rosalind warned him, attempting to give him her most stern expression. The problem was that she also found this to be at least a little funny, so she wasn't in the proper frame of mind to be truly threatening. Robert's chuckle only made it harder to keep a straight face. He nodded at her and retrieved the fallen papers.

Rosalind tucked the book into a drawer and moved away from the desk so Robert could replace the papers. She didn't get even one step before his free hand snaked around her waist, stopping her motion. "Is there something you'd like a hand with?" She knew his innocent tone and expression to be false and done for comedic effect. That didn't stop it from being legitimately amusing. She chuckled and let herself be restrained. In response Robert put the papers on the chair and drew her in close. Rosalind drew his head down to her own until their lips met.

The kiss was much more satisfactory than the book, as far as distraction and arousal were concerned. His lips felt soft and slightly moist, but much more than the physical sensation of his mouth on hers was the emotional reaction that the kiss sent through her. Her amusement melted slowly, as well as her irritation and embarrassment. The heat of her desire and love for this man replaced those fleeting, silly emotions.

His lips broke with hers, leaving her just a little disappointed until they touched again on her cheek, then her jaw and her neck. Despite the heat of the room she shivered, goosebumps breaking out over her arms and chest. She leaned her head backward, allowing his mouth to travel down the too-sensitive skin of her throat. The sensation of his lips and then his teeth against that much protected flesh drew a laugh from her. It tickled, but at the same time it incited such delicious heat in her. She felt each nibble and playful kiss in every nerve of her body, the sensations echoed in those secret places she'd been teasing earlier. Next to Robert's ministrations her own seemed amateurish and sad. He could ignite desire in her with a few words and a well placed touch.

She was the one who backed toward the desk, drawing him along with her. As she anticipated, he understood her intentions with no verbal prompting. He drew her skirts up by inches, collecting handfuls of fabric to avoid bending over. He kissed her while he did this, slow torturous kisses that Rosalind could never be patient enough for or get enough of. Her hips hit the desk again but she would have to break the kiss to get herself back on the desk.

Robert started to move faster when they stopped going backward. She was pleased that his patience had finally eroded. She hated that she was often so responsive and he was rarely as quick to react.

"Practice." He noted. His breathless tone made Rosalind shiver. A hot burst of heat shot from between her legs all the way up her spine. "I'm used to resisting my physical urges." While he talked Rosalind drew his pants open, gently tugging them out of the way. She stroked his cock with slow, even motions. His shiver pleased her and she didn't bother to hide her amused smirk. He lowered his head to her shoulder, an unbelievably intimate motion that put his mouth right by her ear. The soft sounds of pleasure he made as she stroked him drew an answering groan from Rosalind. They turned their heads toward each other until their lips met. Rosalind wiggled onto the edge of the desk with Robert's help. She spread her legs wider, drawing him in by the open fly of his pants. Rosalind deepend the kiss, delicately pressing her tongue into his mouth as he gently pressed himself into her vagina. The sensation was extremely relieving after so much build up. They shivered together, both letting out a soft gasp as they made contact.

Robert put his hands on either side of her face and Rosalind pulled back, knowing that he was trying to make eye contact. She loved the look on his face when he was inside her. Their eyes met and Rosalind gripped the lapels of his jacket. She wanted something to hold on to as he moved inside her. Each thrust made her catch her breath and he was so close. She couldn't think about anything but his body and the contact between them.

Sometimes it was overwhelming to have him so close, to have her personal space so thoroughly invaded. His scent filled her nose, the clean somewhat sharp smell of aftershave, the oily smell of his hair product, and the chemical scent of the lubricating grease for their latest device. His voice filled her ears so that every moan and sharp inhalation overpowered the louder ambient noises. The taste of his lips coated her tongue and anytime it faded to neutrality he was kissing her again, a delightful and wonderful feeling. He dominated all her senses, pushing out everything that wasn't him and his body. He filled her body with feelings, both from the pleasure and delight of each thrust as they grew more frequent and more urgent and anywhere he wasn't touching felt warm from the rush of lust and madness that began to fill her. She pulled him down and nudged his shirt open so she could bite his chest to stifle her cries.

She was beside herself when he took that as a cue to move faster and harder. She shuddered and yelled into the flesh between her teeth, gripping his jacket so hard that her hands hurt. She had no time to give that pain any attention. She felt herself being overtaken by the sweet madness of orgasm and it was all she could do to hang on to her sanity in those moments. His increasingly erratic and wanton thrusting kept driving her farther and farther into the swirling, unfathomable waters of pleasure and she held on to him tooth and nail as though she might be lost if she did not.

Robert's release was as much a relief for Rosalind as it was for him. They sagged against each other gasping for breath. Rosalind regained her composure first. She pulled back, examining his expression for a moment. He looked peaceful and pleased. That pleased her as well. She pressed a soft, loving kiss to his lips and he replied in kind, stroking a hand through her hair. "Well, that was certainly worth the effort."

She smiled at him as he cracked his eyes open and regarded her again. "Better than your book?"

Rosalind felt herself blush. "Perhaps a touch. Difficult to say, really."

His response sounded offended, but Rosalind knew that to be a lie. "Hmm, well perhaps next time you should try to be more enticing."

They couldn't maintain the charade for long. Rosalind snickered once and Robert laughed, drawing her into a tight hug. It felt nice to be in his arms like this, Rosalind decided. She would stay there all the time if she could. There was no need to profess her love for him, so she refrained. Instead she helped him keep his balance when he pulled away and did his pants up for him while he continued to catch his breath.


	2. Boredom at Sea

The Luteces had not anticipated how much time they would spend ferrying Elizabeth around. It often became dull waiting for her to arrive again. They had to stay where she left them or risk being unable to find her again. At first they'd found ways to amuse themselves, but now the Luteces were down to card games. The fact that it rained in Elizabeth's metaphor for dimensional travel was somewhat upsetting. The impacts of the raindrops were a constant reminder to maintain their physical manifestation and the rain stole the warmth from their hands and feet.

Rosalind huffed and looked over at the lighthouse. "She is taking her time."

"I thought time was an illusion." Robert teased. "A coat we could take on or off."

"If we move we'll miss her. It is a very uncomfortable coat at the moment." Rosalind frowned, eying the dark clouds as though she might intimidate them into doing something beside pour down on their heads.

Robert chuckled and drew Rosalind into his lap. Their rain suits squeaked against each other and boat rocked a little. "If she's going to make us wait we can't be held responsible for what we do in the meantime." His voice was low and soft in her ear. Rosalind shivered, but not from the cold.

"In the _boat_?" She asked, turning on his lap so she could face him. "In the middle of a rainstorm?"

"We won't catch cold." Robert pointed out, shedding his hat. Within moments his hair was plastered to his head, his face drenched.

Rosalind retained her hat to preserve her hair. She did lean closer, kissing him softly. The cold, clean water coated his lips and hers, flavoring the kiss somewhat. She wasn't certain this was wise, but it seemed more fun than sulking. She slid her hands under his raincoat, grateful for the heat of his body against her frigid digits.

Robert yelped in surprise at her icy touch, then laughed at his own reaction and how she'd taken advantage of the situation. He decided that turnabout was fair play, in this situation. His hands slid under her raincoat, drawing her trousers down.

The cold air was quite shocking when it hit Rosalind's butt and thighs. There wasn't room under the rain pants for her normal array of undergarments, so she wore nothing but men's briefs. Robert had thoughtfully removed all that in one fell motion. She stumbled backward and he rushed to catch her. The boat rocked and both Luteces fought for balance.

Robert laughed at the whole affair, helping Rosalind maintain her feet until the rocking died off. Rosalind sighed, as though she had suffered some great ordeal. Robert shimmied out of his own clothing, yelping a little when he sat on the cold, wet bench of the rowboat. "Come, Rosalind. We've weathered the worst of it. Let's not have suffered in vain."

Rosalind rolled her eyes, delicately sitting in his lap. Robert groaned when he came in contact with her warm flesh. "Oh," he moaned, drawing a hand around her waist.

Rosalind scooted back against him. "You're going to have to work hard to pull this off, as far as I'm concerned, brother. The cold does not suit me, and I don't believe I'm suitably aroused for this."

Robert nodded, kissing her neck softly. "I imagine I'll have to do something about how cold my hands are." He noted, wiggling under her hips until he was comfortable. Her nearness was maddening, but he didn't want to cause her discomfort. Pleasure delayed was often magnified.

He thought for a moment how he might accomplish his goal. The answer came to him with a rush of bad memories. The stench of burning flesh and heated metal, screams, the sound of metal rending under its own weight. He held his left hand far away from Rosalind and watched it ignite.

Rosalind shivered as those memories were called up for her as well. They had tried to be revolutionaries. Watching Daisy Fitzroy go up in flames had catalyzed many into action. Immolation was a horrific fate. Fire had been the weapon of choice for that Vox Populi.

He shut the memory out of his mind and his hand returned to normal. He pressed it gently between Rosalind's things, stroking through that coarse hair.

Violence, after so long, had a peculiar effect on the Luteces. It was wholly the realm of the living, the passionate. They might participate in it and encourage it, but that was for a goal. Fighting for one's life, for an ideal, for redemption was all something people did when they knew death would come for them some day. Memories of struggle reminded the Luteces what they had given up when life stopped being among their concerns.

When Robert thought of life he thought of children. When Rosalind thought of life she thought of comfort. His fingers slid between her lips. His hand was too warm, still, from the vigor. She moaned loudly at the contrasting sensations, her body shuddering as his fingers gently caressed her. He knew well what she enjoyed and he relished giving that pleasure to her, especially when it would erase a painful memory from her attention.

For a moment there was no sound but Rosalind's soft moaning and the rain falling on the water and boat. She felt warm and slick under his fingers. He knew she would feel soft and welcoming when she was prepared for him. He nibbled on her ear, drawing a delighted peal of laughter from her. Even here, mostly clothed, in the middle of a miserable rain storm they found earnest desire for each other. The cold became a secondary concern for them as Rosalind's shifting and Robert's delicate fingers began to have the predictable effect. Robert felt himself growing harder and his motions became quicker as his patience began to wear thin. Rosalind groaned and shuddered as he increased his pace, her hips twitching in response to the pleasure.

She gasped when he pressed her slightly forward and sheathed himself inside her body in one swift motion. He was slightly chilled, though he'd lost little in the way of size for the fact. She shuddered and groaned, rolling her hips. He moved smoothly in her and she nodded in satisfaction. That was acceptable.

Robert wasn't sure how he might accomplish this goal without capsizing them. He thought she might have to switch places with him, but Rosalind solved the problem, to his surprise. She moved with surprising dexterity, her hips grinding against his. His hands gripped her waist, his breath already coming in short gasps. "That's new." He groaned, trying to still his hips so she wouldn't become unbalanced.

"You enjoy it?" Rosalind teased, her voice low and sensual. She might not find her own release from this, but she wanted him to enjoy himself. He would certainly repay the favor. She had to focus to keep her motions smooth. It was surprisingly hard work.

"I-" Robert started, but words failed him. She was doing. . . something with her internal muscles and it was quite distracting. "When?"

"Rapture. There were several educational texts on the matter. Shush, now, and enjoy this. I didn't freeze my arse off for a full minute to get nothing out of this." She began to move faster, her motions somewhat rougher. She didn't expect that it would be so pleasant for herself as well. She felt her body becoming warm, despite the dreary weather. Her breath started to come in gasps. She ducked her head down to avoid inhaling rainwater.

Robert was beside himself. She was doing things to him that he'd never considered possible. She felt so good and warm around him. His thoughts became simplified, focusing on the physical point of contact between them. He felt the wind and rain, but that was infinitely less important than the heat and wetness of her body, and the way she was moving against him. He was rapidly losing his composure, and the small noises of pleasure that broke the monotony of the raindrops served to push him closer and closer to his climax.

Rosalind was losing her focus. The feeling of fullness was more than just physical. She delighted in each gasp and grunt she drew from him, and the twitching of his hips and fingers showed her how well her efforts were being received. She found herself moving faster, more erratically against him. One particular spot, she'd found, was especially productive. She altered her angle so that this spot was stimulated the most. The problem was that the more stimulated she became the less swift her motions became, which led to a loss of stimulation.

Robert wasn't sure if she was purposely teasing him or not, but the erratic movements were becoming distracting. He drew his hands tighter around Rosalind's waist and gently pressed her forward. She understood his intention after a moment they moved together to their knees. Rosalind bent forward and Robert thrust home. This angle was much more pleasant for them both. He began to move in her, fast and desperate. He was so close to orgasm and he wanted it, needed it, so much he thought he might go mad without satisfaction. The boat rocked slightly as he lowered his head and moved with all of his might against and inside her. The pleasure felt like a fire in his groin and stomach and all he wanted was relief. It came in a sudden burst that overwhelmed all though and all other sensation. He moaned her name softly, his hands gripping her hips so he could keep his balance.

Rosalind groaned breathlessly. Each thrust pushed her closer and closer to crisis. She heard him groan her name softly and his hips began to jerk against hers. She child easily tell when he was coming, now. It pleased her that he had, though she was somewhat disappointed as well.

The sound of someone clearing their throat drew the Luteces' eyes upward, toward the dock. Elizabeth ess standing there, her arms crossed over her chest. "I was only gone for a minute."

Robert sighed and drew himself backward. "Time is relative. If you don't care to watch us then you should avert your eyes." He tugged his pants back on, then drew Rosalind into his lap. He wasted no time before dipping his fingers between her legs again. She was much slicker, now, so his fingers were able to move with much more speed and force. Rosalind cried out when she realized his intention. His other hand slid under her. Two, then three fingers slid into her vagina, occupying the space he'd so recently filled. Between the external and internal stimulation Rosalind was not long in following Robert's example. Her legs shook and a feeling of tightness built inside of her until it broke and she found herself grinding against his fingers, wanting to drain every drop of pleasure out of this encounter.

Rosalind eventually relaxed and Robert withdrew his hand. She leaned back so her head rested on his shoulder and they kissed. After a moment they blinked out of and back into existence. Robert was dry and Rosalind was reclothed. Elizabeth rolled her eyes and got into the rowboat. "You guys are gross."

Robert snickered once, taking up the oars. "I had to get her to move the boat _somehow_."


	3. Sometime in the Night

Things tended to blur once time became a coat the Luteces could take on or off. They remained together while they traveled, but they both felt the effects of their state quite thoroughly. It was harder to feel like events had any bearing on them, harder to consider people as alive. It was Robert who lost his humanity most. He was driven by his goal, though he maintained his good nature.

"It's quite simple," He said once, while they strolled through some other Columbia, looking at some other version of the people they knew. "None of those lighthouse keepers will be in their lighthouses once we fix things. I haven't killed anyone, because I'm going to undo their reason to be in my way."

Rosalind scoffed, producing a coin from her waistcoat. "There's the gate. I disagree with your assessment. If we fail their deaths will matter."

"Then we shall not fail." Robert noted, as though it was the most obvious statement in the world.

"We have failed." Rosalind pointed out, as Robert donned his chalkboard again. "We have, in fact, failed thirty seven times so far. Twenty birds, seven cages, and ten DeWitts or Elizabeths or both dead before they could even be reunited."

They took up their positions, watching Booker possess the automaton at the gate. "Yes, but we're doing wonders for the attractive female salesperson economy." Robert quipped.

Rosalind suppressed a laugh. "They would have found some other work."

The girl that they'd hired to give DeWitt the Possession vigor had her back to them. She didn't know her employers were on the other side of the gate. The Luteces looked Booker over, their expressions placid as usual.

"Heads or tails?" Robert asked when Booker came through the door.

Booker eyed the chalkboard, frowning deeply. "Just let me pass. I got places to be."

Rosalind stepped closer, speaking more firmly. "Heads of tails?"

She tossed Booker the coin. He eyed it, then the Luteces. He rolled his eyes and flipped the coin. "Tails."

Robert caught the coin on a platter, eying it curiously. "Heads again. I wonder if it's weighted?"

Rosalind shrugged and marked off another notch for heads. "Perhaps something about our nature influences it. Like the Quantum Suicide experiment we read about in that textbook from MIT."

Robert nodded. "That was a rather enjoyable week."

Booker coughed and the Luteces looked at him in surprise. "Oh, he's still here."

"Listening to us chatter." Robert noted.

"MIT has been founded by now, correct?" Rosalind asked. "I attended Radcliffe."

"Yeah, it has." Booker noted, before pushing past them, muttering about crazy people.

The Luteces watched him go. "Well, he does have a nicer posterior in this universe."

Robert shrugged. "I've seen better."

Rosalind shook her head. "It's not the platonic ideal, of course, but rather nice nonetheless. I too have seen better." She turned her eyes to him, her face just slightly more smug than a moment before.

Spots of pink tinted Robert's cheeks for a moment, before they left for the version of their lab in this universe. They always liked to visit, and of course they had to ready the Device in case DeWitt came sniffing around.

Robert set his chalkboard down and went to the Lutece Device, programming it deftly. Rosalind looked around, eying the empty shelves and smashed guitar. "Ah yes, this is the universe where one of us took up guitar and the other. . . dulcimer?"

Robert thought for a moment, then nodded. "Yes, though I can't remember which did which."

"I'd assume the female played dulcimer. Guitars are too masculine." Rosalind noted, looking around for the remains. "It's too bad most of us were not musical. I believe I've forgotten how to play all those instruments."

Robert nodded, firing up their device. It lent a ghostly light to the house, which they found somewhat cheerful. It was their pride and joy, even if it was also the means of their destruction.

Rosalind went to the gramophone, eying the remaining record. "Ugh, Albert Fink's ghastly first attempt at music." She frowned and turned the player on, before depositing a voxophone. This one had been found by one other Booker DeWitt and dropped by him when he died during the Vox Uprising.

Robert offered Rosalind his hand, the other arm tucked behind his back. Rosalind took the offered hand and they drew together, dancing to the abysmal music. It didn't truly matter what they listened to. They could speed up or slow down time as they pleased. The could listen to the reverberating hum that the Big Bang had left behind, the very music of the universe. Robert swept her around the room, their feet passing through debris, her skirts swirling through broken furniture and walls. They danced for an eternity or a second, neither cared to keep track or disturb their time together. In the background the Lutece Device crackled with life, making the bizarre scene even more strange.

They did not care. In this moment, they were content. Robert leaned forward, giving Rosalind a chaste kiss. She kissed him back, her fingers stroking into his hair. He shivered softly. Physical sensation was tricky for them. Sometimes they would forget to feel it. They were often so caught up in Robert's work that they forgot to desire physical contact.

Rosalind remembered, then, what it was like to be alive. To have breath, a heartbeat, hormones, digestion. She wanted a cup of tea and a soft blanket. She wanted Robert to pin her to a wall and take her with the swift madness of their first days together.

Robert remembered the flesh as well. Her sweet perfume, the softness of her body, her delicious heat around him. He remembered his heart pounding in his chest when she said she loved him in the middle of lovemaking, once. She'd screamed his name in bed and he could hear it with the clarity of perfect memory. They'd loved each other, in one way or another, in every universe where they interacted. Sometimes they were siblings, sometimes best friends, sometimes soul mates. Sometimes, the rarest, most delightful times, they had been lovers. They'd produced children more than once. He remembered how it felt to be a woman and large with a child, then a father holding a babe in his arms.

He didn't realize he'd stopped dancing until Rosalind drew his head back down, kissing his lips. They'd lost their shared mental space by inches over the indeterminate time they'd been together. It was necessary to remain separated, lest the universe remember that they too were reflections of each other and make one disappear, leaving the other alone for eternity.

They didn't need that shared mental space to understand what would come next. Rosalind's hands stroked down his body, which he remembered would be turned on. Her hands rubbed his hardening cock through the layers of fabric and he wished they were gone. Rosalind gasped when her hand came in contact with his skin. Robert groaned, his head falling back as the sudden contact excited nerves he'd forgotten he had for quite some time.

Rosalind laughed and her own clothing pooled around her legs. She stepped daintily out of her corset, eying Robert imperiously. "Well, we are now nude and probably alone for a few hours. What do you care to do with that time, brother?" She smirked at him, using the hand on his erection to lead him forward a step or two.

Robert laughed, drawing her hand away, lacing his fingers through hers. "I suppose we should see if the bed isn't too dusty under all the blankets."

Rosalind gave him a dramatic gasp, putting the fingers of her freehand over her open mouth as though she was shocked. "And leave a mess for Mr. DeWitt to see? He may grow suspicious if the blankets are in disarray and there are wet spots on the bed. The room will smell of sex and sweat if we're not done far enough ahead of his arrival."

Robert smirked at her. "You say all that like you care about what DeWitt thinks."

Rosalind laughed. "I say all that so you'll take it as a personal challenge to help me confuse him. We can be assured we won't be caught, after all. He sounds like an elephant going up a staircase."

The Luteces went up to their bedroom, only to find that their bed had been set on fire long ago and the entire corner of their room was burned down to the kitchen. They blinked a little, prodding at the wreckage of their bedroom. They let out a small sigh of disappointment. "Perhaps the bathroom sink is intact?" Robert offered.

"We could always go back down to the desk."

Robert laughed. "I think you might have a fetish for that desk."

"It's my one true love. You're a Johnny-come-lately by comparison." Rosalind retorted as they looked down the stairs.

Robert chuckled. "I'd settle for being a Johnny-come-before DeWitt-gets-here-and-we-have to-leave."

Rosalind turned to retort and found herself pressed against the wall of the hallway. Robert's hands grabbed her hips, pulling her legs up around his waist. She barely had time to gasp before his mouth covered hers. They kissed passionately, his hands holding her in place until he found the correct angle for penetration. They both groaned as he slid into her. She felt full and more than a little impressed with how he'd asserted himself. Robert felt like he would die of the heat and pleasure that enveloped him.

The sound of their hips making contact with each other and the wall filled the house, except when Rosalind's mouth was uncovered. She was loud, now. He assumed because it truly didn't matter if they were found out. They were impervious to harm. Even if they died they'd just come back later. Her cries were exciting to Robert. He moved faster and harder, wondering how loud she could get before he lost his battle against orgasm.

Rosalind gripped his hair in her hands, tugging just a little. He groaned at the sensation. Now that it was a rare occurrence pain was somewhat exciting to him. She considered it payback for the way his hands were digging into her hips, when she was coherent enough for thought. His thrusts were maddening and her body reacted with incredible intensity. She yelled his name when she came, her hands gripping his hair even tighter.

Robert couldn't help himself. The intensity of her pleasure, the delicious way her body felt around him was too much. He increased his speed, biting her neck delicately as he let go of himself, pounding into her until the world blanked for a moment and he yelled with his own orgasm.

They panted and stilled, Rosalind still wrapped around him in every manner she could manage. Their eyes met and they smiled at each other. Robert's smile was fond, Rosalind's smug. She kissed his forehead, licking the sweat from her lips afterward. "I forgot how good that is."

Robert nodded, gently lowering her legs so she could stand. Her hands wrapped around his waist for support, and his stayed around her waist. Their breathing slowed and eventually stopped. They gave each other one last smile, then they discarded their physical forms. They were dressed again, still holding each other. "I love you," they said, simultaneously, while they still could.


	4. Twincest

What they were doing was wrong. Rosalind knew it her heart. He was her brother and she was his sister and they should not be doing this. His hands pulled her hair out of its careful updo. The sound of the hairpins hitting the floor of their laboratory was drowned out by their moans as they kissed each other. There had been previous incidents. A kiss stolen while studying, a midnight walk or two that had been spent more in temptation than in motion. Mostly they did their best to ignore their urges. Robert had even dated at one point, though Rosalind knew that it had been a short lived and somewhat embarrassing affair for him.

She didn't have the strength to fight her desires anymore. Tonight was a special night and they were going to celebrate it. Her fingers found the buttons of his waistcoat and she began to undo them, impatience making the task monumentally harder. Robert broke the kiss and pulled back enough to undo his own buttons. For a few moments the room was filled only with their paired, frantic breathing. Rosalind unbuttoned her bodice, suddenly desperate for Robert to see at least a little of what she kept hidden under so much clothing.

He shed his waistcoat and began to undo his shirt, apparently possessed by the same desire. They shared everything. They'd shared a womb, shared their parents' attention for so many years, shared toys and stories and homework. They shared the lab space they were working in, and the shared the discovery they'd just made. This was a natural progression of that. Sexuality was so important and they wanted to share that with each other.

Robert moved closer to pull Rosalind out of her clothing. The lights of the lab were harsh and impersonal but even under the less than ideal lighting he felt himself go weak in the knees when he saw her shoulders and chest. She wasn't even truly undressed yet and he couldn't imagine a sight more lovely than her like this. She was blushing and panting but she stripped out of her outermost garments so fast he felt like he might blink and miss it.

Rosalind didn't hesitate to bare herself to him. He was standing there, staring at her slack jawed and that was fine. She felt silly and crazy and wrong but his gaze made her feel hot inside. She knew his hands and mouth could incite such a flame. She hoped he would be able to help her relieve it.

His hands descended on her almost as soon as she had stripped down to her true undergarments. His hands first went to her waist, drawing her tight against his body. When she came in contact with his erect cock they both groaned at the sensation. They kissed with mad passion while he stroked his fingers over her corset, deftly untying the strings. He felt her hands between them. She was undoing his pants and all he could thing about what the anticipation of feeling her sweet body around him.

He broke the kiss and met her eyes. "I've never. . . You'll be my first." He blushed when he said it, but he felt that he should. Rosalind should know what this meant to him, that he had as much stake in it as her.

She nodded, pushing his pants down just enough to free him from their confines. She took the opportunity to shuck him out of his shirts, leaving him exposed from the middle of his hips up. "I know. I wanted you to be. . . We can never do this again."

"Of course not." He said, tugging her chemise off her shoulders. She straightened her arms so it would fall to the bent forward to unclip and remove her stockings, then her shoes. Robert did the same with his pants and footwear, until they were both stripped down to nothing. Rosalind reached out with tentative care, her hands slowly coming to rest on Robert's chest.

Robert returned the motion, his palm resting on the flat plane of her chest just above her breasts. "I'm serious, brother." She said, before her hand trailed down his body, stroking through his body hair. He slipped his hand down to cup her breast and they both moaned softly at the delightful touch they were receiving and the sensation of the other's body. "We can't explore simultaneously and expect to see everything." If they could only ever do this once she wanted to remember it forever.

Robert's hand stilled, then he nodded. "Allow me to go first. I'm afraid if you touch me too much at the moment I will be overcome and be reduced to begging for more."

Rosalind smirked, just a little. Her hand slipped further down his body, cupping around his cock. He gasped, his eyes widening. "New plan. Let's do that instead."

Robert shuddered and had to fight against his normal reactions. Living in a dorm with no privacy had made him quite adept at pleasuring himself quickly. Now he had to focus on remaining calm or he would never be able to have what he'd wanted since he first learned about relations between men and women. "Please let me touch you first." He didn't care if he was reduced to begging so fast. He needed to give her pleasure and to explore her as much as he could.

Rosalind gasped at the raw need in his voice. She thought his expression might well be her undoing. She relaxed her arm, her hand falling to her side. "Yes. Please touch me." She was breathless and blushing but for once he didn't tease her for her eagerness. He spread the shawl she'd brought along with her to ward off the chill in the lab on the floor and gently drew her down to it.

His fingers explored every curve and feature of her body. Her breasts were soft and yielding to his touch. The skin was so smooth and perfect. He bent his head down to taste the skin of her chest, his mouth moving with impatient speed toward her erect and delightful nipples. He teased the near one with his mouth and the far one with his fingers. Rosalind's composure was quickly eroded under the influx of new sensations. She moaned and writhed under his fingers, each new touch and sensation making it harder and harder for her to focus on anything but his hands and the electricity that played across her skin with every touch. Robert had to take a moment to regain his composure after seeing Rosalind's reactions. Just watching her like this was easily the most intense thing he'd ever experienced.

His hand slid down the smooth plane of her waist, his fingers brushing over her belly button. She laughed with delight and also because it tickled. He remembered tickling her when they were children and wondered if he'd ever imagined then that he might still find such delight in it when they were adults. Rosalind pushed his hand downward after a moment. She was in no mood to be tickled. She was too impatient to wait around while he tormented her. "Hurry up." She complained.

The hair between her legs was stiff and wiry, like his own. His fingertips brushed through it and she arched up to his touch, whimpering wantonly. He hissed and took a deep breath, his hands shaking a little. He had never been so hard and desperate in his life, but he had to continue, he had to touch her as she'd touched him, at the very least. His fingers continued their exploration. He'd heard of the idea that women produced a lubricant to aid sexual stimulation, but he'd never really considered that idea in practice. He gasped when he found the moisture between her lips. She was slick and warm and he knew he would soon reach the end of his patience. 

Rosalind loved the way his fingers felt. She grabbed his wrist and moved his fingers against her clitoris, mewling softly at the familiar but new sensation. Even if the motions were the same his fingers felt vastly different from her own. He took relatively little coaching to understand what was happening. He moved on his own after a couple strokes, testing each direction he might stroke her. Some were better than others. Rosalind let out a strangled gasp when he stroked her correctly. He was unable to resist moving his fingers down to her vagina. He slid a finger into her, whimpering when he felt how warm and wet it was. "Oh God," he groaned.

"I think we've both endured enough." Rosalind whispered. Robert's head jerked to meet her eyes. He withdrew his hand and moved between her legs. Her hands moved immediately to his shoulders. He struggled for a moment to find a position that wasn't awkward.

The fumbling and uncertainty made Rosalind extremely impatient. She had to fight not to snap at Robert to hurry up. He was as nervous as her, after all, and that didn't seem helpful. Eventually he found an acceptable angle and the impatience of the wait evaporated from both of them. They groaned simultaneously as he slowly pressed inside her. Robert bit his lip to restrain himself from frantically pounding into her. She felt so good around him. The heat and moisture were so intense and delicious he thought he might cry from the sensation. Rosalind gripped his shoulders tightly, their eyes meeting as he started, tentatively, to move inside her.

Rosalind felt full in a way that was both intense and extremely satisfying. His movement inside her was intense and exciting. She closed her eyes and began to whimper as he moved. Each inward thrust seemed to stoke the fire of her pleasure, making her ache for each new thrust. She drew his mouth down to hers to silence their moans.

Robert's patience eroded as Rosalind became more responsive. He groaned and braced himself on his arms, thrusting down into her with all of his might. Rosalind responded immediately to the increase in pace and fervor. The stimulation became too much, her body bucked upward as Robert's thrusts sent her over the edge. She felt each thrust send another all consuming wave of sensation through her. She mewled his name softly at the end of it all, when she relaxed, truly spent for the first time in her life.

Robert was only a second behind her. He was certain that it was the way she said his name that sent him irrevocably over the edge. He buried himself in her, ducking his head down to rest on her shoulder as his entire body spasmed and he felt the sweet darkness and intense overwhelming sensation of his orgasm. He cried out wordlessly as he came, shivering lightly when it ended. He rested on top of her, sighing softly.

Rosalind stroked her hands up his body, hugging him close for a moment. "I love you, Robert." She said it softly, as though there were others around to hear it. Perhaps she thought it might be less true if it was not spoken loudly.

Robert looked up slowly, meeting her eyes. He knew he would not rest until he'd had her again, until he could have her forever. He saw in her eyes that she was thinking the same thing. "I love you too, Rosalind."

They lay there for a few minutes, his cock still buried inside her, even after it had gone limp. Above them, suspended by nothing but its contents was a metal box that shone with a dull, dingy yellow light. The Lutece Particle, as it would come to be called, was the start of something new and exciting for them.


	5. Scientific Exploration

"The idea is fundamentally flawed." Robert pointed out. "I have more freckles on my shoulders from an active youth. Sun exposure has rendered this test meaningless."

Rosalind shrugged her chemise off, gathering it up to air out overnight on a hanger. "There are portions of our bodies which the sun has not touched." She retrieved a pair of paint pots and brushes from their dresser. She handed one of each to Robert. "We shall tally those portions, using paint to cover those we've already counted."

Robert gave her an incredulous look. "This is unusually messy for you."

She tied her hair up into a bun, retrieving a few hairpins to secure it. "One must suffer, sometimes, for research."

Robert nodded. This might work, actually. "Where shall we count?"

Rosalind sat on the bed, her pale back to him. "I have much more surface area than you on my chest, so we must discount that area. Perhaps our bellies or backs?"

Robert took up his brush, tapping the handle on the lid of his paint pot. "We're more likely to finish if we do the back. However, science would dictate that we count both."

Rosalind nodded. "It would indeed." He couldn't see her face but he could feel her smugness. She was enjoying this already. That fact, more than anything else, led Robert to nod, his fingers tracing over her skin.

He opened the pot and sniffed it. "What is this?"

"Kohl. I thickened it with flour, it should be the perfect consistency."

"Let us hope so. On your belly, then." He moved so she would have room to stretch out.

The way her muscles played under her skin as she moved made his mouth go dry. It would be a test of wills to resist abandoning science for pleasure no matter what part of her he was touching.

Rosalind chuckled a little. Her amusement filled their link. Robert sighed and dipped the fine brush she'd handed him in the paint. "You are a wicked woman, my dear."

"Am I?" Rosalind asked coyly, looking over her shoulder at him. "It's not my fault you can't keep your mind on your work." She turned her head forward again, smirking widely. She liked that Robert was paying her so much attention, and that he was so very interested in her. She knew that this was no matter of convenience for him. He truly liked her for who and what she was.

The first stroke of the brush nearly made her jump out of her skin. The paint was cold and the brush tickled. Robert's voice counted, stable and sure. "One, two, three." Rosalind wiggled and tried to restrain laughter as the brush slid over her skin. "If you're going to wiggle like this I can't continue the experiment." Robert noted, his voice filled with mock sternness.

Rosalind took deep breaths to calm herself, then settled again. "My apologies. Please proceed."

Robert paused. The wait nearly undid Rosalind's resolve. He barely touched her and did not even get the word, "four," out before she was wiggling again. She was quite perturbed by her sensitivity. She wasn't normally like this.

Robert chuckled and put the brush and paint aside. "I think I'll need to get you more relaxed." His hands stroked over her back. His fingers conformed to her curves, sliding over the pale, delicate skin of her body. She had relatively few freckles on her back. It would be easy to count them, once he could get her to relax.

He straddled the back of her legs, tugging his nightshirt out of the way so that his thighs were pressed directly against her hips. He attempted to remain stoic, so that they might actually satisfy this rather interesting question. It lasted until he leaned forward to resume counting. His cock brushed against the smooth, warm skin of her butt and his hands stilled, twitching slightly. He exhaled slowly. He should have expected that contact.

Rosalind shivered. He felt the motion of it under his hands and between his legs. He groaned softly, drawing his hands down her back to stroke the curves of her hips and butt. "We never had any hope of completing this task."

Rosalind shook her head. "No, I don't think we'll ever manage it. Perhaps when we are old and unable to muster up the energy required for sex." She shifted under his hands, arching upward so he could touch her more thoroughly. She also manage to rub against his cock again, which made Robert shiver.

"By then we'll be too old to keep count." Robert noted, his hands exploring this new angle. She had no freckles on her butt. He wondered if he had any on his own. He attempted to look behind himself to see, but it was quite impossible without a mirror.

Rosalind caught his train of thought and laughed. "I can check for you, if you like. I doubt very much that you have any flaws there."

Robert scoffed. "They're not flaws." He slid off her legs, shedding his nightshirt. "Your freckles are quite attractive." He settled on the bed, face down. He mimicked Rosalind's position, though he turned his head so he could smile at her.

She rose to her hands and knees, moving closer to him. "I suppose that's true." She smiled back, brushing his hair away from his eyes. "You know, I don't think we've ever lasted this long without escalating things. Perhaps we're getting over the honeymoon stage." The idea didn't bother her. Passion was nice but she wanted stability. Comfort and routine were inherently more appealing to her than all the passionate, spontaneous sex in the world.

Her fingers brushed over Robert's shoulders and back. He shivered at her touch, shifting his hips to get more comfortable. Her fingertips trailed down his back, stroking over his spine and the flat expanse of his lower back. She inspected his butt thoroughly, even going as far as to have him lift his hips and spread his legs a little. She slid her hand under him to stroke his erection as she examined him.

Robert groaned at the attention. His eyes closed as she touched him. "It seems like you have a new thing to explore everytime we're together."

Rosalind chuckled. "You did show me a rather convincing display of the pleasure you get from stimulation like this. I hope you don't mind."

Robert shook his head. "I trust you. This feels good. Why should I mind?"

She withdrew her hands and made her way back up to his side so she could lay next to him. "I suppose that's logical. You are free of freckles, though you do have a mole on the left thigh."

Robert looked over at her, one eyebrow raised. "That's it?"

Rosalind nodded. "Yes. You're otherwise unblemished."

"You know what I mean." Robert noted, turning so he could face Rosalind properly. He saw her eyes dip down to look at him. That told him that she was playing at some kind of game, but she was, in fact, still interested in sex. He supposed he could see what she had in mind.

"Do I? What _do_ you mean?" She asked, her tone coy. She turned her back to Robert, moving the paint pots out of the way. She had to fight to suppress a chuckle.

"You're quite strange." Robert noted, his tone bland. He wondered if she was testing his patience. He knew he had much more of that than her. He turned his back to her as well.

Rosalind glanced over her shoulder at him. giving him a brief look of annoyance. "Oh, fine. You're not fun at all."

Robert glanced over his shoulder at her, giving her a mildly amused look. "Oh really? No fun at all?"

She turned toward him again. "No. Not even a little bit fun."

He chuckled, shaking his head in bemusement. "My dear, if I live a thousand lifetimes I'll never understand you."

Rosalind snuggled up against his back. He sighed at her warmth. It was nice to be held. "You don't need to understand me. You just need to love me."

Robert's hand covered hers. He squeezed her hand tight to his belly. It was the closest he could come to hugging her in his position. "I do. I can't imagine a life without you, now. The years before we met seem like an overture. Now the opera's begun and I can't wait to see how it turns out."

Rosalind rested her forehead against the base of his skull. "Operas rarely have happy endings."

Robert stroked her hand and smiled. "Ours will. We are more clever by far than any operatic heroes. We shall overcome, my dear. We will live a life more full and glorious than any other couple in history. How can we do anything else? We can tear reality apart and knit it together again. Our love is impossible, but here we are. What mundane obstacle could ever get in our way?"

Rosalind kissed his neck, the arm around his waist pulling at him, urging him to turn over. He complied, cupping her face softly with his hand. "Death." She said, softly. Her eyes were wide. He could feel her fear. Lady Comstock's sudden demise was still hanging like a pall around the whole city. Robert's hand paused, pressing gently against her cheek. "We could be killed by those who wish us harm. They're growing in number, but we have only one ally apiece."

Robert leaned forward, pressing his lips against hers. He wanted to smother that thought with his affection. He wanted to burn it away with his passion. He wanted to bury it under the weight of his hope. He wished he could undo all the disappointments and fears that had led to this woman being so afraid of life that she dared not live it.

Rosalind was shocked by the kiss and the ferocity of his thoughts. She couldn't think for a moment. She could only feel as his thoughts overwhelmed her. She hugged his body close to hers, kissing him back with equal passion. If they were in danger then there was no reason to hold back, or hold herself aloof. There was no reason to play games.

Robert felt her mind opening to him in a way it had not before. He felt a deeper connection. She wanted him, but she was afraid of it at the same time. She wasn't as emotionally mature as him, even if she was more intellectually advanced. He stroked her face softly as the kiss broke. Whatever had happened was a big step for her. It meant something, even if he didn't know what. "You are the only ally I require." He whispered. "I love you."

Rosalind looked into his eyes, her expression nervous for a moment. They'd professed their love for each other before, but it felt different, somehow. She realized that there must be levels of attachment and somehow they'd just become more attached. It seemed likely, in that case, that she was not as attached to Robert as he was to her.

Robert snorted softly. "Just once I'd appreciate it if we could be intimate without you worrying about something. You're going to give yourself an ulcer."

Rosalind laughed nervously. "I apologize. This is the first time I've ever felt like this."

Robert closed his eyes, smiling serenely. "I'm pleased to be the recipient of your love. I can think of nothing more rare or wonderful."

Rosalind blushed softly. "We should possibly move on to physical expression before I become too overwhelmed and have to work to distract myself."

Robert chuckled and kissed her forehead. "Did you have something specific in mind?"

Rosalind blushed a little. "It seems gauche, now." She thought of the plan she'd concocted earlier in the day. She'd planned it out in great detail, though she'd somehow forgotten to take her ticklishness into account.

Robert blushed as well. "I don't see anything gauche about it. Taking my desires into account seems rather thoughtful. If you would enjoy the process for your own reasons that only increases my willingness."

Rosalind's face was brilliantly red. She buried it between his shoulder and the pillow. He held her close, kissing her neck. "Come, dear. There is no shame in enjoying sex, even. . . non-traditional sex. Especially between people who love each other."

Rosalind attempted to take a deep breath, but his hair and the pillow impeded that. She pulled out and took a deep breath. "Okay. You'll let me know if you're uncomfortable or. . . anything."

Robert chuckled. "I will. Relax. This is supposed to be fun."

Rosalind slid out of bed and began to rummage around in her bedside table. Robert stretched back out on his stomach, stretching his arms forward. Rosalind chuckled as she drew out the supplies she'd ordered in addition to contraceptives. The rubber phallus she'd acquired came with its own wooden box and a harness of sorts. It was oddly supple. Robert watched her handle it, doing his best to keep his amusement buttoned up.

Rosalind was the first to crack. She giggled and wiggled it at Robert. "I assure you I am more interested in you than this."

Robert laughed loudly, covering his face to hide it somewhat. "They don't always behave as one would expect."

The twins both broke out into honest, all-consuming laughter. Rosalind propped herself up on the table to prevent herself from toppling over and Robert buried his face in the pillow to suppress the sound of his laughter. It tapered off in time, leaving both Luteces smiling at each other. Rosalind fished a small bottle of lubricant out of the drawer and shut it.

Robert sat up, watching her don the strange contraption with interest. He knew that there was at least a small part of her that had always wished to be male. He wondered if it colored her sexuality.

Rosalind blushed at his scrutiny and thoughts. "We are a strange pair." She cinched the belts of the harness and wiggled her hips. The rubber attachment flopped around, threatening to draw more laughter from them both. She climbed onto the bed, pausing as she contemplated their height difference. "I think we'll need a step stool."

"For you?" Robert asked, looking over his shoulder at her.

Rosalind eyed him disdainfully. "For you, actually."

"You want me to kneel on a step-stool the whole time?" Robert asked.

"You want me to stand on one the whole time?" Rosalind countered.

Robert thought for a moment. "I have a better idea." He sat up for a moment, eying Rosalind. He piled up the blankets and pillows, then draped himself over them so his hips and butt were lifted up. Rosalind eyed the position, her hands stroking over his legs. He shivered and groaned. "What do you think?"

"I think the view is lovely." Rosalind replied with a laugh. Robert blushed and chuckled. She grabbed the oil and made her way across the bed, nudging his legs a little more apart. She oiled the dildo, then poured a liberal amount on Robert's butt. He jumped at the sensation, which made her laugh.

Robert relaxed his body as much as he could when he felt her fingers trailing over his butt. He took a deep breath when she pressed her finger gently against him and then inside him. She'd learned fast. That made sense. She paused and he could feel her worry rising up again, presumably in response to his inhalation. "Just anticipation, dear. I promise you're not hurting me." He did his best to keep the amusement out of his voice. She was being more gentle with him than anyone previous.

Rosalind nodded and slowly worked her finger in deeper. She knew that he wouldn't react exactly as she did when she became aroused. No matter how much she anticipated receiving this kind of attention the first minute or so was always a little touch and go. She moved as fluidly as possible, slowly working another finger into him.

Robert ducked his head down as he began to breathe faster. Her hands were much daintier and smoother than he was used to. The sensation was much more pleasant, he decided. He did his best to remain relaxed when Rosalind's hand withdrew and the tip of the rubber phallus took its place. He wondered if this would be different than what he was used to.

Rosalind's off hand moved to his low back and her right guided the toy into Robert. She was pleased to have the opportunity to be a somewhat passive observer for the experiment. It would answer much about their mental connection. It would also be amusing to bring him off like this. She paused when the tip finally fully penetrated. His sigh of relief made her sigh as well. That was the worst part, for her. She was pleased that she hadn't hurt him, despite her lack of sensation. She slowly rocked her hips back and forth in a shallow thrust. Robert's answering groan made goosebumps rise all over her body. Her nipples became taut and she shuddered. She felt a ghost of the sensation he felt, but she thought that her arousal was more due to the fact that she was enjoying herself.

Robert grasped the blankets as she began to move in earnest. The way it felt when she moved in him was overwhelming. He was so sensitive there, and she had somehow managed to find a nearly perfect angle. He closed his eyes, a loud, low moan filling the room. When she grasped his cock and began to stroke him while she moved he thought he might come undone in that instant.

Rosalind was gasping for breath, her entire body flushed with exertion and arousal as she fucked Robert. She was pleased that this was turning out to be so amusing. It wasn't quite the same as when he was doing the work, but it had its own pleasures. "It seems you're enjoying yourself." She noted, making her hips and hand speed up. She wanted to know what Robert felt when he came like this. It was easy and very good to surround herself with his thoughts, feeding like a leech off of his pleasure. The nice thing was that her usual reaction to pleasure wasn't triggered, so there was no impediment to how fast and much she could move her hips.

Rosalind wasn't kept waiting long. Robert felt like he was going to come undone when he came. The sensation was almost enough to be harmful. His hips shook and jerked a couple times as he climaxed. A wordless yell was drowned in their comforter. He collapsed bonelessly afterward, panting and groaning softly.

Rosalind gasped when she felt him orgasm. It wasn't quite enough to send her over the edge, but she found satisfaction in it, nonetheless. She smiled and leaned forward, kissing Robert between his shoulder blades. "It seems you enjoyed it." She didn't bother hiding her smugness. She was pleased to have induced this pleasure and languor in him.

Robert nodded wordlessly, slowly lifting his head. "You sound like you did as well." The words were very soft. His throat was sore, which told him that he'd probably made a lot of noise.

Rosalind giggled and withdrew the phallus and unhooked it. "I did indeed. I'm going to wash up and bring a towel to wipe you up with. I don't want you dripping all the way to the bathroom."

Robert blushed worse, but he didn't argue. That was sensible. He relaxed again, obediently waiting to be cleaned up. They'd have to get a blanket out of storage to replace the one they'd soiled.

Rosalind's smugness became overwhelming in their mental connection. He chuckled weakly and shook his head. "I am a lucky man, my dear." He knew she couldn't hear him, but he hoped she would get the gist of the sentiment.


	6. Meeting the Parents

"But what on earth would I call you?" Rosalind asked, huffing at the decorated invitation in her hand. She was pleased that her parents had obtained a summer home in the country and also that her father has ceased to drink and begun to garden. The invitation was to a fancy party for the baptism of one cousin or another, but she assumed it was actually sent so she would know they wanted her to be in their lives.

Robert lifted the invitation out of Rosalind's limp fingers and read over it again. "It says you may bring a guest. If your mother is much like mine she would be ecstatic to find that you've a suitable partner. I'll make up some false name and accompany you as your suitor."

"I wouldn't take a suitor to see my parents." Rosalind huffed. "A husband would be lucky to have that honor."

Robert smirked at her, putting a hand on her hip. "Just tell them you couldn't bear to be parted from me. It's true, isn't it?" He drew her in closer, setting the invitation on the mantel.

Rosalind let herself be drawn in. Robert could usually talk her into anything. She did want to remain close to him and she also wanted to see her family again. After a time she relented. It felt somewhat inevitable, but she liked to think she'd learned to pick her battles in her time with Robert. "You'll need to change your appearance somewhat."

Robert frowned but didn't ask for clarification. "I'd prefer not to."

"I'd prefer not to be talked into things which I know are mistakes. If you go to their home looking just like me there will be questions which we cannot give satisfactory answers. Your hair grows fast enough, it won't harm you to be a brunette temporarily." Rosalind wasn't yet impatient. She was just stating her position from which she intended not to budge.

Robert shook his head, drawing away from Rosalind. He ran a hand through his hair, trying to imagine himself with any hair color other than the one with which he was born. "I have no intention of changing how I look. They'll just have to deal with your suitor looking similar to you."

"I don't know why I agreed to this." Robert grumbled, eying his hair in the mirror again. He didn't like having brown hair at all. It was a small mercy that the dye was not strong enough to completely cover his true color. He still felt marginally ridiculous, especially since he was wearing glasses with false lenses.

"Because you miss your family as much as I miss mine, and also because you want to make sure I come to no harm." Rosalind replied, glancing up at the airships controls to make sure they were still on the correct path. The craft was one of the few that a private person could rent. They could only spend two days in England unless they wanted to spend a month attempting to catch Columbia again. Rosalind didn't want to think about the messes that would be left if they were absent so long.

Robert frowned at his reflection one last time before returning his attention to Rosalind. He could feel her nervousness. He wondered if that wasn't part of why he was so on edge as well. Of course he could be nervous without her interference, too. He remembered his last conversation with his mother before leaving for Canada. It had not gone well. Of course Rosalind's mother wouldn't accuse him (rightly or not) of homosexuality. No, the way he intended to carry on with Rosalind would certainly assert his interest in her.

Rosalind frowned and broke out of her reverie. "Of course we won't be able to make love while we're there."

Robert chuckled. "We can't get caught at it anyway, but what else is new?"

Rosalind frowned. "I mean it, Robert. My mother will insist we marry on the spot if she even suspects we've seen each other with our collars askew."

Robert paused and Rosalind realized immediately what he was refraining from saying. She turned her face away from him. "Robert, please don't ask me for things I can't give you." Her voice was soft. She felt an ache in her chest and knew that she couldn't give in to this request no matter how much she wanted to. It would make things too complicated, it would be impossible to conceal.

Robert turned away from Rosalind, doing his best to maintain his composure. She was right, though he was loathe to admit it. This wasn't their moment. "Someday we will be able to do as we please without interference from those who could not understand."

Rosalind sighed softly, too sad to contradict him. His hope was the only thing that kept her going, sometimes. "Of course. We will. But not this weekend."

Robert sighed and examined his face in the mirror. "I'd rather not look like this when I get married, anyway. The pictures will be terrible."

Rosalind took his hand. "Indeed. Come take supper with me. We'll be arriving in a few hours."

They landed in the garden of her parents' new country home, nearly but not quite destroying a pair of flower bed that were clearly the product of meticulous care. Rosalind glanced at the beds after they stepped into the cool night air. There were candles arranged in a circle, just as she'd asked. It was only that which had preserved her father's hard work.

It shocked Rosalind to see how old her parents looked. Of course the last time she'd seen them was nearly a decade ago. She felt that she was still recognizable as the woman in her graduation portrait but they were not.

She hugged her mother and paused awkwardly while she and her father both determined whether or not they should hug. When they did decide to do so it was at arm's length and quite brief.

Robert waited patiently, examining the older Luteces. He could imagine that these were his parents quite easily. Rosalind's mother examined him with the same calculating look he'd seen on his own mother's face. It was quite like Rosalind's, now that he considered it. She turned to give her daughter an annoyed look and Rosalind laughed lightly in embarrassment. "I apologize for not introducing him. Mother, this is Robert Thomson. Robert, this is my mother Rebecca and my father Owen."

Robert bowed to them both and watched as they returned the motion. It was strange to see these people, so like what he'd thought his own parents would look like, treat him as a stranger. It was stranger still when the woman took his hand. "I never thought I'd see a man at my daughter's side, Mr. Thomson. It's a distinct pleasure to meet you. Please come in and make yourselves comfortable. We have just enough rooms for everyone to be comfortable."

Rosalind was as uncomfortable as Robert about that proclamation, and more so when her father piped up. "Of course you'll want to marry her as soon as possible. She's nearly too old to bear children."

Robert coughed softly. "She is a fine woman, Mister and Misses Lutece. I do not intend to rush her toward such an action. Our work leaves little time for a family."

Rosalind was surprised to hear him say that, even to throw her parents off the scent. She cleared her throat and continued. "I am not at all too old for childbirth. I have been examined quite recently to ensure my continued good health and viability." Which was true. She went to the doctor frequently to be monitored for cancer, as did Robert.

The older Luteces nodded and Rebecca patted Robert's hand. "Of course. You'll have such handsome children, I'm sure. When is the ceremony? Will it be held on Columbia? You know your father and I can't travel so far."

Rosalind fell into step behind her mother, watching as the older woman dragged Robert toward the house. She sighed softly. "We'll have it here. The garden is lovely. Perhaps next June. That seems the best time of year to get married."

Robert nodded in agreement. It hurt to know that Rosalind was lying and that she was doing her best to pacify her mother to cut off the topic of conversation. He wished they were being honest, that there was room anywhere for them to indulge in that particular luxury. The garden could be a New York City Sewage Processing plant for all he cared if getting married there meant that he could have an open life with Rosalind.

He was led to a small room that smelled musty and contained a proliferation of books and art supplies. "Rosalind said you like to paint so I thought maybe you'd enjoy taking the library. The couch is quite comfortable, or so I've been told. It should do for two evenings, I imagine."

Robert turned and bowed to Rebecca again. "Of course, Madame. It is quite to my liking and I shall certainly be comfortable. I would love to see some of the products of all this, if I may be so bold."

Rebecca smiled and nodded. "Tomorrow. It bores Owen to hear me speak of my art. Sleep well, Mr. Thomson."

"Please call me Robert, Madame. I feel so welcome already that I would hate to ask you to stand on ceremony for me." He gave her a charming smile and turned to look at the couch. With his back to Mrs. Lutece he could properly express his dismay.

Rosalind moved forward, delicately skirting her mother. She went to Robert's side, taking his hand. "Sleep well, dear." She said, giving him a soft smile. He turned to face her, wondering if she would be so bold as to kiss him if he asked for it.

"Good night, Rosalind. Every thought I have tonight shall be of you and the day when we can finally be united as one."

Rosalind gave him a look that made his heart ache. He saw in her eyes a mirror of his own longing. She wanted to be his as much as he wanted to be hers. What a terrible life they had to offer each other. "As shall mine."

He kissed her knuckles then turned to bow to the Luteces again. Rosalind fled the room without sparing a second glance.

When the door closed he sat on the couch and sighed, putting his head in his hands. He felt foolish now for insisting he should come. Even the chance to see a mirror of his family again wasn't worth the heartache he'd experienced in a few short minutes.

He changed into his pajamas and settled under a dusty blanket on the couch. He slept lightly and found himself frequently uncomfortable. He was used to Rosalind's body being pressed against him. He thought that he might pleasure himself and induce sleep that way. It was worth an attempt, at least.

He barely had his pajama bottoms down far enough for the task when the door opened almost soundlessly. He blinked and sat upright, only to see that Rosalind was standing in the door, closing it slowly behind herself. She didn't speak a word until she was at his side. He was so stunned by her appearance he didn't think to cover himself again.

Rosalind gave him a smug look, her fingers stroking lightly over the exposed patch of stomach. Robert shuddered and covered his mouth with his hand to stop from moaning. Her hand slipped into his pants and it was all he could do not to beg her mount him. She was too loud. He held her wrist still, drawing a curious look from her.

"Rosalind. . . you trust me, right?" he asked, his voice barely above a whisper.

Rosalind nodded. "Of course." It went without saying, which meant he was asking for a specific reason, though what she couldn't begin to guess at.

"I need you." He breathed. "I need to feel you. . . but I don't want to tarnish your reputation. I have a solution for your. . . impulse control issues but I need you to trust me."

"Just do it." Rosalind muttered, retracting her hand from his pants. "I've been thinking about that stupid fake wedding all night." More specifically she'd spent the night thinking about what came after the wedding. She could have him anytime she wanted in any way she wanted. That was what she daydreamed about.

Robert wished that his reaction to that sentiment could be sweet and endearing instead of the rough thing he had in mind. He drew Rosalind in for a kiss with his right hand while his left groped for a tie. He just had to suppress the noise of her moans.

Rosalind shifted her weight on top of him and the couch creaked. They both sighed softly. "I'm afraid our preventative measures must become more extreme." Robert whispered.

Rosalind saw that he had a tie in hand and guessed at some of his plan. She nodded and carefully backed off the couch. "What do you need to do?"

"Lean carefully over the arm of the couch, first. If that doesn't creak we'll be in good shape." Robert said, before rummaging through his overnight bag. He had a pair of clean socks and another tie. These would do, he hoped.

Rosalind did as she was bid, wiggling lightly against it. Not a creak could be heard. Robert smiled and nodded in approval. "Hands behind your back."

Rosalind gave him a wicked smirk. "You're taking advantage of the silence to make me comply without argument." She put her hands behind her back as instructed, the backs of her wrists together to make it easier for him to tie.

Robert chuckled softly. "Nonsense. When I am in the mood I rather like your resistance. It has led us to come interesting places. You remember what to do if things are too much, correct?" He gently bound her wrists together, tying knots with steady hands. He paused and went to get a knife, just in case things went poorly.

Rosalind nodded. "I do. You're not going to use a sock as a gag, are you?"

Robert coughed lightly. "It's all we have."

Rosalind frowned and straightened, looking around the room. She walked a little differently with her hands bound behind her back. She poked at thing with her hips and knees. Robert had to suppress the urge to laugh about it.

That is, until Rosalind bumped and unsecured desk and it dropped half its contents, including a decorative tea set. Broken glass and spilled utensils littered the ground around Rosalind's bare feet.

Robert gasped and moved closer. "Oh God, Rosalind." He dashed to her side to help her over the glass. With her arms bound her balance was extremely compromised.

She was almost clear when the door burst open and Owen Lutece came into the room with a cricket bat. Robert gasped and his hand tightened on Rosalind's arm, drawing her slightly off balance. She trod on a piece of teacup and yelped, bumping her shoulder into Robert. "Ow! Let go of me."

Owen pointed the bat at Robert and yelled a rather impressive string of profanities. Robert glanced around at the room. There was little to defend himself with.

Rosalind scrambled up onto the shaking desk and nudged the window open with her shoulder, tumbling out when she overbalanced. "Run!" She yelled over her shoulder as she dashed for the airship.

Robert didn't need to be told twice. He vaulted up onto the desk and fell out the window as well just as Rosalind's mother began to shriek imprecations as well. He bolted toward the airship, gathering Rosalind against his body when their paths intersected. He pushed the airship door open with one hand and slammed it behind them once they were inside.

Rosalind didn't bother asking to be untied. She went to the controls and hit the homing beacon that would guide them to Columbia just as her father began to bang on the door. Robert put int the coordinates the beacon gave him and the ship powered up.

Neither Lutece exhaled until they were safely in the air. Rosalind presented her back to Robert and he untied her arms, kissing the knuckles of each hand once he'd freed them. "Well, that was educational." He mumbled.

Rosalind shook her head and began to laugh uncontrollably while she sat down to tend to her injured foot. It took Robert a few moments but he soon found himself laughing as hard as her about the affair.


End file.
